Have you ever been told that you’re “morbidly curious” or dubbed yourself to be so? Are you interested in things like death, illness, and true crime? If you answered “yes” to any of those, then you might be in the market for a morbid nonfiction book. This subcategory of nonfiction caters to curious minds and explores topics that might not be considered appropriate for dinner conversation. Today we’re exploring the morbid nonfiction subgenre and some recommendations to get started reading in it.
What Makes a Book Morbid Nonfiction?
Morbid nonfiction is a subgenre of the nonfiction category that delves into topics that are morbid, unusual, or just downright weird. The thing that makes morbid nonfiction different from other informative fiction is that it does not shy away from the gory details of the topics that the books explore.
Different from micro-histories in that morbid nonfiction aims to uncover more than just the history of a subject, but the social impact as well. That being said, morbid nonfiction is not necessarily for the faint of heart – but if you have curiosities itching at your mind, you might consider giving it a try.
Subjects That Morbid Nonfiction Might Cover
Morbid nonfiction knows no bounds. There are no limits to what a morbid nonfiction book can cover because morbid curiosity is never-ending. Socially unacceptable and even taboo subjects are covered by the morbid nonfiction genre including but not limited to nature, medicine, science, death, and crime. One could argue that true crime is a subject of morbid nonfiction because of its gory nature and aim to answer questions about human nature.
The most common themes of morbid nonfiction are death and medical science – there’s a book that serves as an entire “biography” of cancer, which I’ll touch on more in the recommendations section. Like its friend true crime, morbid nonfiction seeks to find answers to questions that humans have been pondering for all their existence. Why do people die? What’s it like inside a crematorium? How did cancer come to be a deadly disease?
Now that we’ve established what morbid nonfiction is, let’s go over some recommendations to get started in the genre.
The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Told as if it’s a biography of a person, The Emperor of All Maladies is a deep dive into the history, biology, and chemistry of cancer. It chronicles over 5 thousand years. It reads as if it’s a novel with cancer as the protagonist, making it a unique and informative read.
The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
Made into a movie and a stage play, The Radium Girls is the brutal and heartbreaking story of the women who painted glowing numbers on wristwatches using radium dust, and the aftermath of that task. Kate Moore writes a compelling narrative that explores the health, lives, and deaths of these women who were just trying to make a living.
Morbid Magic by Tomás Prower
Morbid Magic is a book that explores death culture and spiritual practices from around the world. If you’ve ever wondered what a certain culture does with loved ones after death and why, Morbid Magic is a great look into the mysticism behind many death practices.
The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean
A collection of short nonfiction that explores the history of the elements of the periodic table, The Disappearing Spoon is a wonderfully morbid, gory, and gross book. If you were interested in The Radium Girls, The Disappearing Spoon is a more science-based exploration of the periodic table and the mishaps that people went through while discovering many of the elements.
Over My Dead Body by Greg Melville
An exploration of the history of America’s cemeteries, Over My Dead Body was inspired by Greg Melville’s senior year in college when he worked at a local cemetery mowing grass. If you’ve ever wondered why we bury our dead in cemeteries or what it’s like inside a mausoleum, this book is for you.
Conclusion
Morbid nonfiction is a genre for people who want answers to questions that people don’t like to answer. Like-minds dive into these deep, dark, subjects and seek the answers so that fellow morbidly curious friends can uncover the secrets that humanity likes to hide. If you are interested in morbid nonfiction, I hope this article helps you find an entry point.
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